The US economy slowed less than expected | Diageoâs sales jumped | [TOGETHER WITH]( Hi {NAME}, here's what you need to know for January 27th in 3:10 minutes. ð£ Good balance helps you stay on your feet when things get rocky â and in the world of investing, that means having a wide, stable spread of assets. Join IGâs Martin Harris for [How To Build A Smart Portfolio]( on February 14th, and find out how to keep your footing when the whole world starts to shake. [Get your free ticket now]( Today's big stories - The US economy slowed less than expected last quarter
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- The worldâs biggest spirits maker Diageo celebrated tequila-shot-worthy sales Easy Does It [Easy Does It] Whatâs Going On Here? Fresh data out on Thursday [showed]( that US economic growth slowed less than expected last quarter. What Does This Mean? Rate hikes are one of the main weapons the Federal Reserve (the Fed) has in its war on inflation, and it hasnât been particularly shy about firing them off. But while the economyâs sustained some damage, it still managed to stay on its feet last quarter. After all, a key measure of consumer spending â which makes up the lionâs share of the economy â increased by just over 2%. Thatâs less than economists expected, sure, but growth is growth. Government spending took its biggest leap in almost two years too, and companies upped their inventories â all of which helped plug the gap left by plunging residential property investments and dwindling exports. On the whole, the news was good: the economy grew at an [annualized]( pace of 2.9%, a slowdown from the previous quarter, but better than the 2.6% economists expected. Why Should I Care? The bigger picture: Time will tell.
Thereâs no denying that the economy showed pluck last quarter, but some pundits still think rate hikes havenât had their full impact yet, and reckon theyâll knock the economy into a mild recession as the year wears on. That chimes with a recent survey by Bloomberg: it revealed that economists think the economy will shrink by 0.6% and 0.3% in the second and third quarters of this year â marking a [technical recession](. Zooming out: Deny all knowledge.
The Fed isnât done yet: the central bankâs widely expected to hike rates by 0.25 percentage points next week, and eventually bring rates to 5% and hold them there for a while. But while economists are already sounding the recession alarm, the central bank insists a good old âsoft landingâ is still a possibility. At any rate, thereâs no guarantee itâll fess up if things do take a turn: it kept mum when a technical recession [set in]( last year, after all. You might also like: [abrdn sees the world on the brink of recession.]( Copy to share story: [( ð [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question:
Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=Easy Does It&utm_campaign=daily-global-27-01-2023&utm_source=email) Analyst Take
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Investors didnât feel like joining Diageoâs celebrations, and not just because of Dry January. For one, sales slowed down in North America â a worrying sign given that the region brings in about half the firmâs overall profit. And for another, most of the firmâs growth was simply down to price rises, meaning the amount of drink Diageo sold was actually pretty underwhelming. That meant stone-cold-sober investors looked past share buybacks and a dividend bump, and sent shares down 6%. Zooming out: On the rocks.
British tonic maker Fevertree was also [shaken]( in the US last year, adding insult to injury after its sales dropped in the UK, its biggest market. The maker of high-end spirit mixers warned that the cost of glass bottles is bubbling over, and that could keep its profit underwhelmingly flat this year. Unsurprisingly, that news wasnât the tonic investors needed: shares dropped a whole 15%. You might also like: [Hereâs how you can work out what Diageo is really worth.]( Copy to share story: [( ð [Ask a question](mailto:questions@finimize.com?body=Ask us a question:
Where are you writing from? Let us know and we'll mention it when we reply.&noapp=true&subject=Spirited Away&utm_campaign=daily-global-27-01-2023&utm_source=email) ð Finimize Live 𥳠Coming Up Soon⦠All events in UK time. ð [How To Hedge Against Volatility With Crypto](: 5pm, February 2nd
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